LIVE BLOG: William Ruto inaugurated as fifth Kenyan President

Kenya's President William Ruto displays the special sword that he received to represent his instruments of power and authority from his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta after his official swearing-in ceremony at Moi International Stadium Kasarani in Nairobi, Kenya September 13, 2022. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Kenya's President William Ruto displays the special sword that he received to represent his instruments of power and authority from his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta after his official swearing-in ceremony at Moi International Stadium Kasarani in Nairobi, Kenya September 13, 2022. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Published Sep 13, 2022

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Video: AFP

William Ruto sworn in as Kenya's fifth president

William Ruto was sworn in as Kenya's fifth president on Tuesday, a week after the Supreme Court upheld an election that dashed the hopes of the nation's most prominent political families and handed power to a man who began his career as a roadside chicken seller.

Ruto, who served as deputy president for the past 10 years, takes over at a time of surging food and fuel prices, high unemployment and rising public debt.

Read more here.

Source: Reuters

Visiting Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegation and Foreign Dignitaries arrive at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani

Visiting Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegation and Foreign Dignitaries arrive at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani for the inauguration ceremony of His Excellency Dr William Samoei Ruto as the 5th President of the Republic of Kenya and Deputy President Hon Rigathi Gachagua.

EAC Heads of State Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (Uganda), Salva Kiir Mayardit (South Sudan), Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Evariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi) and Felix Tshisekedi (DR Congo) are attending the inauguration.

Photo: State House Kenya.

Also present are Presidents Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somalia), Filipe Nyusi (Mozambique), Wavel Ramkalawan (Seychelles), Emmerson Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe), Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi), Umaro Sissoco Embaló (Guinea Bissau) and Azali Assoumani (Comoros).

Photo: State House Kenya.

Others are Presidents Mahamat Deby (Chad), Julius Maada Bio (Sierra Leone), Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibouti), Brahim Ghali (Sahrawi) as well as Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini of Eswatini and AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.

Source: State House Kenya

UPDATE: Several injured in crush at Kenyan presidential inauguration

Several people were injured on Tuesday in a crush at the gate of the stadium in Kenya's capital where Deputy President William Ruto will be sworn in as president, medical officials said.

Video broadcast on Kenyan television showed people being tended to by medics after being injured in the crush outside Nairobi's 60,000-seat Kasarani Sports Centre.

Mama Lucy hospital received several patients injured in the crush, said Joseph Mbithi from the emergency unit, adding that they were all in stable condition.

A dispatcher for St John's Ambulance service said that ambulances had taken several wounded people to at least three hospitals but that he did not have more details.

Source: Reuters

William Ruto to be sworn in as Kenya’s president today

William Ruto is due to be sworn in as Kenya’s fifth president today, a week after the Supreme Court threw out a lawsuit from a veteran opposition leader challenging his victory.

Read more here.

JUST IN: Several hurt in Kenya stadium crush ahead of Ruto swearing

Several people were injured on Tuesday as crowds tried to force their way into the stadium where Kenya's president-elect William Ruto is to be sworn in, local media reported.

Kenyan security forces intervene during a stampede at the entrance of the Moi International Sports Center Kasarani in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 13, 2022 ahead of William Ruto inauguration ceremony. - Incoming Kenyan president William Ruto has clawed his way to the top as the nation's "hustler-in-chief", playing on his religious faith and humble beginnings selling chickens by the roadside. (Photo by Tony KARUMBA / AFP)

Television footage showed hundreds of people scaling a wall to gain access to the 60,000-seat Kasarani stadium in Nairobi, which was packed with spectators before dawn.

Kenyan security forces use water cannons to intervene during a stampede at the entrance of the Moi International Sports Center Kasarani in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 13, 2022 ahead of William Ruto inauguration ceremony. - Incoming Kenyan president William Ruto has clawed his way to the top as the nation's "hustler-in-chief", playing on his religious faith and humble beginnings selling chickens by the roadside. (Photo by SIMON MAINA / AFP)

Dozens of people can be seen falling on top of each other in a crush at one entrance gate, while first aid responders carried people to a waiting ambulance.

Read more here.

Deputy President David Mabuza attends inauguration of Kenyan President-elect William Ruto

Photo: David Mabuza.

Deputy President David Mabuza is in Kenya to attend the inauguration of President-elect, William Ruto, taking place today, the presidency confirmed in a statement on Monday.

President-elect Ruto invited President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has since delegated the deputy president to represent the government and people of South Africa at the inauguration.

Read more here.

Thousands of people have already filled the Kasarani Stadium which has a capacity of 60,000.

Photo: State House Kenya.
Photo: State House Kenya.
Photo: State House Kenya.
Photo: State House Kenya.

Cost of inauguration

The Kenyan Treasury Department has provided 200 million shillings or about US$1.6 million for the inauguration ceremony. It will be less costly than Kenyatta’s 2017 inauguration for which taxpayers paid over 300 million shillings.

Source: Africanews.

Seychelles' President Ramkalawan to attend inauguration of Kenya's new President

The President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, is among the heads of state who will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected President of Kenya, William Ruto.

Ramkalawan was invited to attend the ceremony that will take place at Moi International Sports Complex Karasani on Tuesday.

His inauguration comes a week after Kenya's Supreme Court, through a unanimous decision, upheld Ruto's victory in the August 9 elections which was being contested by challenger Raila Odinga.

Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, and Kenya recently signed 10 bilateral agreements aimed at enhancing cooperation.

The agreements were signed during a meeting between President Ramkalawan and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta during his state visit to Seychelles from July 17-19.

(Source: Seychelles News Agency)

Raila Odinga says he will not attend Ruto’s inauguration

40 presidents invited to Ruto's inauguration

Several African heads of state have been invited to Nairobi to witness the inaguration of Kenya's new president William Ruto.

Insiders close to Ruto say he has invited as many as 40 heads of state to grace his investiture.

Among the invitees is President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, seen as a staunch ally of Mr. Ruto during his stint as Kenya's deputy president.

It is widely known that Ruto had paid frequent visits to Uganda to meet Mr. Museveni.

Other East African leaders from Tanzania and Rwanda have been sent invitations by Ruto to attend his inauguration which would come just over a month after he was elected to the Kenyan presidency with just over 50 percent of the vote.

Others scheduled to attend will be representating the African Union, IGAD and the European Union.

(Source: Agence de Presse Africaine)

Kenya's outgoing President pledges peaceful transfer of power

Kenya's outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta held a meeting with his successor William Ruto, reiterating his commitment to the peaceful transfer of power on Tuesday.

Kenyatta, who gave a televised farewell address to the nation after meeting Ruto at the State House here, Nairobi, said that he will oversee a peaceful transition of powe, in a bid to reaffirm Kenya's democratic ethos, reports Xinhua news agency.

Kenyatta congratulated his Deputy William Ruto for clinching the presidency during the country's hotly contested August 9 polls, pledging support to the incoming administration as it embarks on serving all citizens fairly.

"On my part as the Head of State, I hand over leadership of a nation that has undergone a consequential transformation over the last decade in every aspect of our national life," the outgoing leader said.

On Tuesday, he will hand over instruments of power that includes a ceremonial sword and a copy of the constitution to Ruto, to signify a change of guard.

Source: IANS

Photo: State House Kenya.

Ruto holds talks with Rwanda President Paul Kagame

Kenyan president-elect William Ruto held talks with Rwanda President Paul Kagame at the Karen Office, Nairobi County on Monday.

“Kenya and Rwanda have a long established relationship based not just on geography but mutual interests and long standing partnerships on economic and security issues. We will seek to build and expand our cooperation for the mutual benefit of the citizens of our countries, ” said Ruto.

Photo: William Ruto.

Photo: William Ruto.

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 12, 2022

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